Greece’s most famous holiday destination has more to offer than dazzling landscapes, pristine beaches and quaint whitewashed architecture. Based on the fruits of the land and the sea, the Cycladic cuisine is in fact a reason to visit in its own right.
Smack in the heart of the Aegean, the Cyclades are a cluster of 33 pearly-white islands that form a circle around Delos, the sacred birthplace of Artemis and Apollo. Their history is long and tumultuous – over the centuries they’ve served as important sea passages and world-famous trade centres; but also pirate dens and Venetian, Frankish and Ottoman annexes. Inhabitants mostly sought their livelihood at sea, either as sailors or as fishermen. This maritime tradition has been responsible for shaping the Cycladic societies and, by extension, Cycladic cuisine, which has also been markedly influenced by the conquerors and the many other foreigners that passed through the islands’ various ports.
